Cree syllabics facts for kids

This is a test print of newly made Cree letters.

Cree syllabics are a special way of writing the Cree language. They are part of a bigger group called Canadian Aboriginal syllabics. This writing system was first made for Cree and Ojibwe.

There are two main types of Cree syllabics: Western Cree syllabics and Eastern Cree syllabics. This writing system was later changed to be used for other languages too. Today, more than 70,000 Algonquian-speaking people use this script. They live in places from Saskatchewan in the west to Hudson Bay in the east, and from the US border up to the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

How Cree Syllabics Started

Cree syllabics were created by a missionary named James Evans in the 1830s. He was working in what is now Manitoba. Evans first tried to use the Latin alphabet (like the one English uses) for Ojibwe.

But after seeing how successful the Cherokee syllabary was, he tried making his own writing system. He used ideas from shorthand and Devanagari (a script used in India).

Later, Evans worked with the Cree people. He had trouble using the Latin alphabet for their language. So, in 1840, he changed his Ojibwe writing system to fit Cree. The new system had only nine basic shapes. Each shape stood for a syllable (a sound like "ba" or "ki"). The way the shape was turned or rotated showed which vowel sound it had.

After a hymn book was printed in syllabics in 1841, the new writing spread very quickly. The Cree people liked it because it was easy to learn, often in just a few hours. They also liked that it looked different from the Latin alphabet used by the European settlers. Almost all Cree people learned to read and write in this new system within a few years. Evans taught people by writing on birchbark with soot. People called him "the man who made birchbark talk."

How Cree Syllabics Work

Cree syllabics are a type of writing system called an abugida. In an abugida, each main symbol represents a consonant sound combined with a basic vowel. You change the symbol's shape or add marks to show other vowels. What makes Canadian Aboriginal syllabics special is that the direction a symbol faces, not small marks, tells you the vowel sound. Each basic shape stands for a consonant sound. This shape is then flipped or rotated to show the vowel that goes with it.

Just like the Latin alphabet, syllabics are written from left to right. Each new line of writing goes directly below the one before it.

Here's a simple look at how some of the basic shapes work:

Different Kinds of Syllabics

The syllabary is still used for Cree dialects west of the Manitoba–Ontario border. This is called Western Cree syllabics. In the 1850s, John Horden made some changes to the system in the James Bay area. These changes became standard in 1865 and are now known as Eastern Cree syllabics. This version is used today for many eastern Cree dialects and for Naskapi and Ojibwe. However, some Cree dialects in eastern Quebec use the Latin alphabet instead.

The two main versions (Western and Eastern) are different in a few ways. They show syllable-ending consonants differently. They also mark the "w" sound in different ways. Plus, they show the sound differences between Cree dialects. There are also smaller local differences in how they are written, what the characters look like, and how punctuation is used. Some writers use dots or spaces between words, while others don't separate words at all.

Cree Numbers

Cree syllabics have also been used to write numbers. Certain combinations of symbols had fixed number values, a bit like Roman numerals.

• A vertical bar (like a straight line) means 1.
• ᐅ i means 3. (So Iᐅ would be 4).
• ᐊ a is used for numbers bigger than 6. (ᐅᐊ means 6, ᐊ means 7, and ᐊII means 9).
• ᒥ mi means 10.
• Looped syllables (like ᓀᓂᓄᓇᑯᑲᑫᑭ) mean numbers from 20 to 90.

The number zero is shown as an eight-pointed star.

How Syllabics Are Used Today

For a long time, special printing equipment was needed for syllabics. This meant they were mostly used for handwritten letters, personal notes, and church books. But then, syllabic typewriters were invented. Later, computers and word processors made it even easier. This allowed native speakers to control how the script was used.

Now, Cree syllabics are used for many things. You can find them in schoolbooks, magazines, and official documents.

See also

In Spanish: Silabario cree para niños

• Canadian Aboriginal syllabics
• Eastern Cree syllabics
• Inuktitut writing
• Western Cree syllabics

Cree Books in Syllabics

Many books have been published in Cree syllabics.

• The Cree School Board of Quebec, Canada, has published hundreds of Eastern James Bay Cree books. You can find their catalogue online.
• Swampy Cree Hymn Book = ᓇᑲᒧᐏᓇ ᐅᒪᐢᑮᑯᐘ ᐅᑎᑘᐏᓂᐘᐤ. (By James Evans) Norway House, 1841.
• The Psalter, or Psalms of David = ᑌᕕᑦ ᐅ ᓂᑲᒧᐎᓇᕽ. (By John Horden) London, 1875.
• The New Testament, translated into the Cree language = ᐅᔅᑭ ᑎᔅᑌᒥᓐᑦ ᑭ ᑎᐯᓕᒋᑫᒥᓇᐤ ᓀᔥᑕ ᑭ ᐱᒪᒋᐃᐌᒥᓇᐤ ᒋᓴᔅ ᒃᣅᔅᑦ. (By John Horden) London, 1876.
• The Holy Bible. (Translated by John Sinclair, Henry Steinhauer) London, 1861.
• Bunyan: Pilgrim´S Progress. (Translated by John Sinclair) Toronto, 1900.
• Cree Hymn Book. (By John Mcdougall) Toronto, 1888.
• The Books of The New Testament. London, 1859.
• The Book of Common Prayer, (Translated by John Horden) London, 1889.